Attorneys and a federal judge are expected to meet in a North Carolina courtroom Friday afternoon for a status hearing regarding the pending criminal trial of John Edwards , the former presidential candidate and U.S. senator .

The hearing comes after attorneys on both sides filed several motions , many of them sealed from the public .

In December , attorneys for Edwards asked again to delay his criminal trial , saying Edwards had an unspecified medical issue .

Last year , the Justice Department charged Edwards with conspiracy , issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws . He has pleaded not guilty .

Last September , the trial was delayed until January 30 after Edwards ' attorneys said he needed more time , in part due to his position as the sole caretaker of his two youngest children , ages 11 and 13 , after his wife , Elizabeth , passed away in December 2010 .

The motion to continue the trial for 60 days filed on December 22 said Edwards ' `` unexpected '' medical issue is explained in a sealed exhibit . The issue will `` prevent a trial of this matter during the January 2012 criminal term , '' according to the motion , and can not be resolved before the end of the term .

Attorneys for Edwards , who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2004 alongside John Kerry , also say in the motion a January trial would not give them enough time to prepare , especially given the `` unusual and complex '' prosecution .

`` Since this trial date was set , the government has produced as part of the discovery process an additional 103,102 pages of material including more than 91,000 e-mails as well as 26 voicemails received by cooperating witnesses between 2007 and 2010 , '' the motion says . In addition , both the government and Edwards are seeking evidence from North Carolina state courts .

`` Absent a continuance , Mr. Edwards ' counsel will not be able to effectively use the evidence the government was obligated to provide him ... and this , in turn , threatens Mr. Edwards ' right to effective counsel and a fair trial , '' according to the motion .

`` This is not hyperbole . Mr. Edwards ' counsel are experienced trial lawyers and they are and have been working hard -- long hours , late nights and weekends -- and they have not made it their practice to seek unwarranted continuances . ''

It is unclear if a decision has been made on whether the trial has been delayed .

A chief issue in the upcoming trial is whether money given to support Edwards ' mistress , Rielle Hunter , by the then-candidate 's benefactors should have been considered campaign donations , a contention Edwards ' team has disputed . They maintain the money was a gift to Hunter .

If convicted on all counts , Edwards could face 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1.5 million .

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The trial was set to start January 30 after a delay in September

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Edwards ' attorneys are asking for 60 more days

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They say they need time to review evidence provided by prosecutors